Chillarai RahsyangaLs of Swami Desikan & Sri ParAsara Bhattar's GuNa Rathna KOsam SlOkams

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 13, 2000


Dear BhakthAs:

As adiyEn gets deeper into preparing the postings of
Swamy Desikan's ChillaRai RahasyangaLs , adiyEn is not
sure whether the esoteric nature of the topic 
would be of wide interest to the majority of the audience
of the Bhakthi List . Hence , I am leaning towards 
the presentation of Sri ParAsara Bhattar's 
GuNa Rathna KOsam , as an alternative .
Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam is a tribute of Sri ParAsara
Bhattar to Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr of Srirangam . 

If some one is deeply interested in receiving 
the postings of ChillaRai Rahasyangal, please let
me know so that I can send them as needed 
on an individual basis . 

Sri MahA Lakshmi Tattvam is very important to us
as Sri VaishNavAs . Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam deals
brilliantly with the unique and divine attributes of 
our ThAyAr MahA Lakshmi (Sri RanganAyaki ) as 
the Empress of Srirangam and the dearest consort
of Lord RanganAthan.

Sri ParAsara Bhattar was the pet child of
the divya dampathis of Srirangam and they
raised him " litreally " in their ThirumAmaNi
MaNTapam . They set up a cradle for him in
front of their sannidhi and watched over him .

Dr.V.N .VedAntha Desikan of Oppiliappan Sannidhi
known for his great contributions to the growth of
our SampradhAyam has just started the coverage of
th Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam slOkams through a series of
postings in Nrusimha PriyA Magazine. AdiyEn will use his
translations as a base to elaborate on the great Tathvams
behind MahA Lakshmi as revealed to us by Swamy
ALavandhAr ( ChathusslOki), KurEsar (Sri Sthavam),
Sri Sooktam ( khila Rk from Vedam ) , Sri Sthuthi
(VishNu PurANam ) , SaraNAgathi Gadhyam passages
of EmperumAnAr , Sri LakshmI ashtotthara sthOthram,
Sri Lakshmi Sahasra Naama SthOthram , Sri Sthuthi of
Swamy Desikan , Sri DevanAr ViLAgam PadmanAbhAcchAr
Swamy 's monograph (Ph.D Thesis ) on ParAsara
Bhattar , AzhwAr's aruLiccheyalkaLs , Lakshmi
Tanthram and Srimath Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar's 
KaalakshEpams on our ThAyAr's unique glories .

The format will be similar to the postings on 
Sri RanganAtha PadhukA Sahasram  where We (Sri
MuraLi Rangaswamy and myself) take off from 
Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desiakan's translation and 
adiyEn adds other anubhavams ( Abhinava Desikar,
HH Srimath Andavan and adiyEn). There are 61 slOkams
in Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam . AdiyEn will cover them 
one or two at a time.

Dr.V.N. Vedantha Desikan has referred to the majestic gait,
deep thoughts and apoorva tatthvams embedded in 
the slOkams of Sri GuNa Rathna KOsam. This is indeed 
a rare treasure chest of the gems ( divine attributes 
of ThAyAr, Sri RanganAyaki )arising from the blissful
guNAnubhavams of Her son , ParAsara Bhattar. We will
touch upon the Vibhuthvam, UpAyathvam and PurushakArathvam
aspects of Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr (MahA Lakshmi ).

Dr.V.N.Vedantha Desikan points out that 
Mother RangsanAyaki's " divine Qualiites are 
Unique ; it reveals the intimacy that the author
(ParAsara Bhattar ) enjoyed with Sri RanganAyaki "
as Her pet child .The slOkams are " majestic ,
the dictum is magnificent and the ideas are emotive".

DevanAr ViLAgam Dr.S.PadmanAbhan points out that 
Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam is a SthOthram of "lyrical beauty , 
while  it abounds in philosophical statements , which are
unique to the VisishtAdvaithA System of philosophy". 

AdiyEn has covered extensively the seven Krithis composed
by Sri Mutthuswamy Dikshithar on MAHAA LAKSHMI in
a series of postings archived in may 96 chapter 
of Bhakthi archives. These krithis are set in
Raagams Maadhava ManOhari , DhanyAsi , LalithA ,
Desi SimhAravam, Naayaki , MangaLa Kaisiki ,
and SourAshtram .

Additional articles on the greatness of MahA Lakshmi
are archived in September 96 ;Two postings on 
adiyEn's personal saraNAgathi to Lord RanganAthA 
on a Panguni Uttharam day inspired by AchArya RaamAnujA's
Sri Sookthi are housed in the April 1 , 1996 postings.
KurEsA's Sri Sthavam is housed in the Feb 1996 
Bhakthi archives.

With these introductory remarks , adiyEn will
start the series on Sri ParAsara Bhattar's 
GuNa Rathna Kosam ( The treasure house of gem-like 
qualities of Sri Devi)in the next posting .

May Sri RanganAyaki ThAyaar blessing us 
while seated on ardha ParyankAsanam and
displaying abhaya MudhrA bless adiyEn
in the completion of this kaimkaryam !

May this SarvAnga Soundharyavathi , the Empres
of Srirangam , Sri RanganAyaki ,adorning
Kanaka rasanA ( golden ottiyANam at Her slender
waist ) , muktAhaarA (Pearl necklace around Her neck) ,
TaatankA ( ThOdu) LalAtikA ( ornament on Her forehead ),
MaNisArA ( gem necklace around Her shoulders )and
TulAkOti ( sweet sounding anklets on Her legs ) 
bless us all with Her karuNA KatAkshams !

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan 
 


  

  

 

 
 


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